Sand-sifting Gobies filter...

RichtheReefer21 · Nov 26, 2018

I am in the market for a sand sifting goby to help keep my sand bed fresh and clean.

I am not interested in a shrimp-paired goby, nor do I want the diamond sleeper with orange spots everyone under the sun has... plus I have fungis and plan to get some trach's jn the future and dont wanna deal with the mess diamonds are notorious for.

I want something more unique, that will still get the job done. I had a 2- spotted/signal goby before, and wouldnt mind another. But my tank is 6ft long, and I just dont think a signal is big enough to handle the job. Although I would be open to have 2 smaller sand sifters in together.

Any recommendations? I see dozens of gobies on LA, DD, and Bluezoo... but not sure which ones are workers and which are lazy...

Recommendations?

James M · Nov 26, 2018

Good luck on trying to find a goby that cleans the sand and doesn't make a mess. Why don't you invest in conches?

shred5 · Nov 26, 2018

Yea for get it with Fungiidae in your tank.

Sand sifting gobies drop sand everywhere. I had one once and he took every bit of sand and piled it around a rock burying everything. I am not joking it looked like i had a bare bottom tank when he was done.

Get a cucumber and a conch. They do not do as good of a job but they do not mess with anything and they live a while.

Jesterrace · Nov 26, 2018

James M said:
Good luck on trying to find a goby that cleans the sand and doesn't make a mess. Why don't you invest in conches?

Agreed. While it's true that the Diamond Watchman Goby is the ultimate sand cleaner, a single medium sized one can create a sandstorm in a tank that is hundreds of gallons. After having 2 DWG's die on me (over the course of a couple of years), I switched to a handful of fighting conch snails and have been much happier with the results (clean sand bed, no sand storm and they are very durable). They also eat detritus (something a goby doesn't care to do). The fighting conches (as they are known) are also very interesting to watch in action.

RichtheReefer21 · Nov 26, 2018

I have 2 tiger conches and a sea hare nudibranch, plus around 50 nessar snails and 50 hermits.

They cant keep up with the sand, and I suppose I could get more conches.

Since the signal goby is small maybe I will just settle with one of them.

Thanks for the info. Still open to any suggestions from people!

PDR · Nov 26, 2018

I have found the number of recommended conchs is usually really low. I have had 4 tiger conchs in my 75 for over 2 years and recently added 6 fighting conchs. I only meant to add 2, but I removed the sand from my frag tank and ended up adding the other 4. That was a couple of months ago and they are all still doing well. Seem active and healthy and the sand stays pretty clean. I do make a point to feed extra so some of the food will settle out on the sand. Seems to be working so far.

jd371 · Nov 27, 2018

I have two Conch snails and a Rainford goby that keep my sand clean. The Rainford sifts the sand all day without making too much of a mess. He doesn't swim up into the current when sifting and stays close top the sand so it doesn't blow around. He will sprinkle sand on some corals but never bury them, I've never had to dig out any corals because of him.

Sorry for the lousy quality, this was taken later at night when the lights were ramping down.

Jesterrace · Nov 27, 2018

RichtheReefer21 said:
I have 2 tiger conches and a sea hare nudibranch, plus around 50 nessar snails and 50 hermits.

They cant keep up with the sand, and I suppose I could get more conches.

Since the signal goby is small maybe I will just settle with one of them.

Thanks for the info. Still open to any suggestions from people!

How big is your tank? I have a 90 with a 60lb sand bed and I have 5 fighting conches and it wasn't until I bumped it to that number that my sand started looking near pristine. 2 won't get the job done for any tank 55 gallons or larger with at least a 2-3 inch sand bed.

RichtheReefer21 · Nov 27, 2018

125gallon 6ft long

RichtheReefer21 · Nov 27, 2018

T

jd371 said:
I have two Conch snails and a Rainford goby that keep my sand clean. The Rainford sifts the sand all day without making too much of a mess. He doesn't swim up into the current when sifting and stays close top the sand so it doesn't blow around. He will sprinkle sand on some corals but never bury them, I've never had to dig out any corals because of him.

Sorry for the lousy quality, this was taken later at night when the lights were ramping down.

That's more like what I'm looking for. Unique, does some siffting, but not an sand storm hurricane.

Thanks.

mta_morrow · Nov 27, 2018

Check out the sleeper banded goby.

Sand sifter, algae eater, open water swimmer, and unique.

Alexreefer · Nov 28, 2018

mta_morrow said:
Check out the sleeper banded goby.

Sand sifter, algae eater, open water swimmer, and unique.

+1 had him as my first fish looks great and never made a mess. my all time favorite fish

Pellikan · Nov 28, 2018

My sleeper banded goby does move sand around. I wouldn't want to try it if I had corals on the sand though. He drops sand all over from about 5-6 inches up. Messier than the diamond gobies I've had in the past.

Pellikan · Nov 28, 2018

My sleeper banded goby does move sand around. I wouldn't want to try it if I had corals on the sand though. He drops sand all over from about 5-6 inches up. Messier than the diamond gobies I've had in the past.

mta_morrow · Nov 28, 2018

Pellikan said:
My sleeper banded goby does move sand around. I wouldn't want to try it if I had corals on the sand though. He drops sand all over from about 5-6 inches up. Messier than the diamond gobies I've had in the past.

Good to know! Thanks!

Jesterrace · Nov 28, 2018

RichtheReefer21 said:
125gallon 6ft long

There's the problem. I had 2 in my 90 gallon and it was marginally cleaner than having nothing at all, but still had many brown spots. I added 3 more and now the sand bed is almost gleaming white all the time. For your size tank I would say 6-7 would be needed to get the job done.

Jordan Prather · Nov 29, 2018

I have a 6 spot goby pair nothing special but also not your ordinary diamond goby they work all day long and dont throw sand everywhere or make sand storms also have to wrasses that burrow in the sand to help to

VbReefer · Nov 29, 2018

Diamonds are the best IMO
Just have to try one at a time till you get one that stays on the sand and doesn't crop dust.

RichtheReefer21 · Nov 29, 2018

Prolly gonna grab a happy medium of both. Not a crazy worker, but does enough to let me enjoy the character of them doing their thing. So entertaining watching gobies sift.